James had never felt anything like it before in his life, this sick and nauseating feeling churning in the pit of his stomach. Is it fear? Is it uncertainty? Or is it something entirely nameless? Fuck! He didn’t know, but hell, he felt like throwing up.

He had been receiving calls from his team, ruling out suspicious places around L.A. where Herbert could be hiding. Then suddenly, just like that… Bam! He felt a cold sweat breaking out and his head started spinning.

Fuck! What the hell is this?

He got up from his seat, which drew the attention of his brothers Scott and Eric as well as his best friend Matt.

Scott asked, “James, you all right?”

His brothers must have noticed his weird change in behavior. What the fuck happened to his in-command attitude? Hell, he didn’t know.

He shook his head as he walked to the door. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just need to use the bathroom.”

Once he shut the office door behind him, he closed his eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths.

“Mia! God, Mia, please be all right. Please be all right until I get there,” he said.

He made his way toward the bathroom, and once in, he headed over to the basin and washed his hands and face to freshen up.

Fuck, he knew he needed to get a grip.

He closed his eyes again as he splashed more water onto his face. Instantly, it came. A flash of an image that made him feel so sick at heart that it nearly brought him to his knees.

Numerous bruises branded Mia’s beautiful skin and face, not unlike those on Andy’s when the Mexican mafia had kidnapped the boy. In his mind’s eye, he saw swollen eyes and lips along with cuts scattered about her slender body.

Fuck! No. No. No. Don’t think about it. Ignore the bloody image. Just ignore it. Concentrate on finding Mia and saving her. That was more important.

You’re a fucking strong man, James. You’ve been through countless shit before and not only overcame, but conquered it as well—in style, too. So something like this shouldn’t paralyze you in this way.

He snorted. Yeah, but everything he had been through before had never involved the woman he loved, the woman he cared about and wanted to live with the rest of his life.

He sighed and softly whispered, “Mia,” caressing her name as his heart felt this crushing weight of fear and anxiety.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Calm down. Just calm down, James, he told himself. Think, just think clearly.

First, he needed to find where the bitch Sophie was and then follow her. She’d take him to that fucking bastard Herbert Weston. Wherever Herbert was, Mia was bound to be. Once he found Mia, he would get her to safety. Then everything would be fine again, and he finally would get to unleash his inner demon on the bastard who had kidnapped and hurt his beloved Mia.

Yes, I am going to fucking torture Herbert and kill him with my own hands.

Fuck, he had never been like that before, not since he’d found out about his ex-wife’s betrayal. Now, however, Mia had lit a fire not only in his passion, but his emotions and heart as well.

James had to admit that for the first time in a long time, he was scared shitless. He felt he was about to lose everything important to him, and it frightened him as it never had before.

Yes, he was so fucking scared of losing Mia that his head spun like a fucking pinball, his mind became blank, and he felt overwhelmed and paralyzed.

“Fuck!” he swore loudly as he stared at himself in the mirror. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that he managed to calm himself down and gain control of his emotions again. After splashing more water onto his face and then wiping it dry with a towel, he headed out the door, more pissed and determined than ever.

Once he returned to the office, the phone rang, and James picked it up, silently demanding it was good news.

And indeed, it was good news. It was Cole on the other end of the line. “We’ve found her, boss. We’ve found Sophie Wilson. We’re tailing her. She’s heading toward South Los Angeles.”

James felt a sense of accomplishment and, along with it, a bit of relief. “Good. Keep tailing her. We’re on our way.”

“Roger that, boss,” Cole replied and then hung up.

Once he put down the phone, James turned his attention to his audience who was waiting impatiently for him to share the news.

Andy asked, “Well? Have they found where Mia is yet?”

James answered, “Cole and his partner have found Sophie. She’s heading toward South Los Angeles. I have no doubt Herbert is keeping Mia there.” He turned to William then. “I need you to stay here in case shit hits the fan.”

William understood and nodded. “Sure. Just call when you want backup.” He chuckled in amusement. “Though, I doubt it.”

Andy said, “I’m coming, too.”

Matt raised a brow at him. “No, you’re not.”

Andy frowned. “Yes, I am. Mia’s my sister, and I’m going to be there for her. This is important to me, Matt. I can’t… I just can’t leave her when she’s… She must be scared and… Shit! It’s Herbert Weston. It’ll be hell for her, and I won’t… I just won’t leave her to suffer. I must be there for her, Matt. You need to understand that.”

Of course Matt understood that. He wasn’t so heartless, for fuck’s sake.

He looked at James for a moment. The friend, however, only stared at him, not uttering a word, thus leaving Matt to make his own choice in the matter.

Matt sighed in resignation. “Fine,” he said. “But you keep yourself safe and don’t intervene. I don’t want Herbert seeing you and suddenly wanting to do all sorts of shit to you again, considering what you’ve told me.”

Andy blushed with mortification, remembering the scene when Matt, who had just found out about Herbert Weston, grilled him and demanded the historical data between the two in excruciating detail, naturally. Of course Andy had told Matt everything, from the molestation to the bullying, beating, and rape. Every fucking thing, which pissed Matt off so much that now he wanted to personally torture and murder Herbert with his own hands.

Since the first time he had met Andy, Matt had suspected the boy had a rough childhood, had gone through some tough shit, though he’d never expected anything like this. In fact, he had probed many times for Andy to tell him what was on his mind, what was holding him back and made him who he was. The demons of his past that held him hostage and haunted his dreams, which Matt had witness many times. Of course, now that he knew the truth, the full details that had been haunting Andy, Matt wasn’t just going to let Herbert walk away. He was going to kill the bastard for sure.

Andy nodded furiously as he said, “I promise not to get in your or Mr. Maxwell’s way.”

Both James and Matt doubted Andy’s words, though they didn’t voice it. They knew the boy was going to flip, as they would the moment they saw Mia, if indeed Mia was in the condition James suspected she was in. Beaten and bruised.

A moment later, they headed out the door, weapons ready, except for Andy who hadn’t a gun to his name. Matt wouldn’t let him handle one anyway.

At the front of the house, James was about to get into the vehicle, along with Scott, when Aria ran out after him.

“Daddy! Daddy!” The little girl called to her father.

James stopped short as Aria came to a stop in front of him.

Savannah wasn’t far behind, furiously apologizing, “Sorry. I was going to stop her, but she wanted to see you off when she saw you leaving the house.”

James returned his attention to Aria and got down to his knees. He pulled her into his strong arms and gave her a tight hug. “Be a good girl, all right?”

Aria nodded. “Are you going to get Mia?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

James nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“Then I can’t wait to see her ‘cause we’re going to have a girls-only slumber party,” Aria said. “Just me, Mia, and Savannah. I can’t wait. I can’t wait. Please don’t be too long, Daddy.”

James stroked his daughter’s cheek, a half smile playing about his face. “I promise I won’t be long.” He kissed her on the forehead.

When he moved back, Aria gave him a kiss on the cheek in return.

“See you soon, Daddy,” the little girl said.

James nodded and then stood. As he headed into the car, Savannah came over to stand beside Aria and took the little girl’s hand into hers.

Once James was in the car, Scott started driving away, followed in another car by Eric with Matt and Andy as passengers.

Cole updated James and his team regularly throughout the drive toward South Los Angeles, and once they were close, they got another call from the man.

“What is it?” James asked.

“Chesterfield Square,” Cole said. “An abandoned warehouse.”

“Give me the address,” James said, and once Cole did, he called Matt to give the man the details, too.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the suspected site where Herbert was holding Mia captive.

The abandoned warehouse was isolated and tucked deep off the main road, so it was hard for anyone to notice its existence, let alone pay any attention to it. James wondered how Herbert came to know about such a place when he wasn’t a local around here, unless he had some help. Of course, James knew it had to be Sophie who suggested the site to him.

Cole rushed up to James and his team the moment he and his partner, a bulky ex-boxer of a man, noticed their arrival.

“Boss,” Cole said.

“Here?” James asked, looking around the deserted, ramshackle place with interest.

Cole nodded. “Saw Sophie going into the building some twenty minutes ago.”

James signaled to both Matt and Scott. “Let’s go.” Then he turned to Eric. “You and Andy stay behind.”

“Sure thing, bro,” Eric answered.

Andy quickly voiced, “I’m coming in, too. Mia—”

Matt turned to him. “As I said, I don’t want Herbert seeing you and—”

“I don’t give a fuck about Herbert and whether he sees me or not,” Andy said. “I’m here for my sister. I’m going in to save her with you three whether you like it or not.” With that, he marched toward the building ahead of them.

Matt shook his head as he said, “As hotheaded as usual.”

James said, “Can’t blame him. It’s his sister in there. We’d do the same if we were in his position.”

“Of course,” Matt said as they headed toward the building, a few steps behind Andy.